1. Path of book & mobile application:

Martina Jenkole,

"The baby book for all adopted children and their parents in an adorable way points out the importance of planning and preparations before the arrival of a new family member. It emphasizes the significance of monitoring the child’s development and bonding with him/her.

The baby book radiates with the author’s spirit and her personal experience of adoption. She prepared it with great precision and care in order to create room for the adopted child in the adoptive parents’ hearts as well as their lives..."

2. Review based on my own experience:

Mateja Gris, adoptive parent:

"Sitting down with family and going through photo albums together feels nice! The older they are, the better. Our favorites are the photos of the first smile, first moments outside the orphanage’s walls, our first trip with a borrowed stroller down the Red Square, first bump on the nose, first swim in the sea..."

Bojan Suvorov, adoptive parent:

"...The feelings I had while reading this book are the ones that matter. I inadvertently found myself answering the book’s questions and thus returned to that time and place. To the time I first held that precious little human being and wrapped it with a sweater to protect it from cold. When words were not needed and we could let go of everything. When he first touched my hand because it was in the way of Mojca’s cookies. And when he said his first word after two days of being together and then couldn’t stop chattering. When returning to Ljubljana was so hard, and we just couldn’t wait to get back to Moscow. When he took his first steps, played with the plastic figurine and nibbled everything he came across. The time when the judge was asking me how he will fit in and where we will live. When we were buying the first clothes for our son and the first time he spent the night under the same roof. To when he cuddled up to me on the plane trip home, when..."

Helena Tavčar, adoptive parent

"...It is clear to see that it was written by someone who has a personal experience of adoption and is therefore able to recognize what is important for children of adoption. It is a precious gift for our children to cherish their entire life."

Mojca Arh, adult adoptee

..."The book Our very first 1095 steps is a wonderful memory album for adopted children that in detail covers all issues important to adopted children as well as their parents. It will mark and commemorate all the steps of the first three years shared together. The album will provide the child with precious memories and fill a unique spot among the existing baby books. It will help parents explain things to their adopted children and make them welcome in their new homes. I believe the book can also be helpful in ways to tell a child that he/she was adopted. Thanks to the individual stories it creates, it can represent a unique family story and therefore carries a special meaning. In my opinion, it becomes a child’s precious childhood memory."

Maja Pleterski, adult adoptee

"Dear co-authors of the new book Our very first 1095 steps! I, too, was adopted and am very honored to contribute to the book’s introduction. I greatly admire Katarina for her courageous step of allowing herself to dream about and then also accomplish her goal. With it, she nobly tackled the delicate subject of adoption and presented us with the long awaited and well deserved baby book."

Tamara A., adult adoptee

"I was hesitant for a moment when Katarina asked me to write a review of her baby book. What could I write to future adoptive parents and their adopted children? What does this book release mean to me and what will it bring to you? Then I realized that the questions this book raises have already crossed the mind of every adoptee. They were perhaps left unanswered. And now I’m writing these words..."

3. Professional reviews of adoption:

M. Sc. Ana Vodičar, general director, Family affairs directorate,

Ministry of Labour, Family,

Social Affairs and Equal Opportunities

..."I therefore welcome the special edition of this book about the earliest childhood memories for adopted children. I would also like to take this opportunity to thank all the children and parents for all the pleasant moments we shared together. I can guarantee that the authorities are doing their best to make adoptions friendlier for parents and most importantly our young ones."

Ph. D., proffesor, Darja Zaviršek,

Faculty of social work, University of Ljubljana

"This memory book is great for enhancing self-esteem and creating a positive image of adopted children as well as their parents. It clearly states that children can come into families in many different ways, not only when "mommy and daddy love each other”. It broadens the concept of family because it includes the memory of the child’s biological parent, who are a part of the child’s biography and therefore also a small part of the new family’s biography. Provided some creative effort, the memory book could also be used for children adopted by a single parent or same sex parents. Pioneer work for a traditional society!"

Tina Hudobivnik,

B.Soc.Sc., CSW Kranj

"...The book Our very first 1095 steps offers us the opportunity to preserve the fundamental fragments of the child’s life. It constantly provides access to the child’s past, which, thanks to this book, becomes more transparent. The author has covered all the essential data regarding the child’s present and biological family. That makes it possible to record important milestones in the child’s life and in addition enrich them with our impressions and thoughts. The book will also serve as an important tool for adoptive parents. By reading it together with their child, they will be more equipped to answer his/her questions and face all of their emotions. They will be able to build the child’s life story from day one. "

Meta Šilc,

B.Soc.Sc., CSW Radovljica

"...Your book for adopted children includes a question about the first social worker that the adoptive couple has encountered in their journey. Reading it made me contemplate my responsibility and commitment to devoted care for every individual who crosses my path. I have never before felt such a high level of responsibility for my profession.

Katarina, I’m truly glad to have met you. I admire and support your courage and perseverance. You are not afraid to express your beliefs and ideas and you are brave enough to take on difficult challenges. You are a fighter. Congratulations!"

4. Reviews of foreign professionals in the field of adoption:

Svetlana Sovilj, B.Sc. Psychology graduate, senior advisor,

Ministry of Health, Labor and Social Affairs, Montenegro

"Thanks to her own experience as an adopted child, Katarina has managed to emphasize the most important, crucial events of childhood for creating an identity, such as one’s roots and the search for them.

She emphasized the need of a child to meet his/her parents as well as the country he/she comes from. It’s normal for a person to desire to find their roots. Katarina also stresses this on the basis of her own experience."

Dr. Suad Numanović,

Adoption is a noble act, and the role of an adoptive parent comes with great responsibility to raise the child in accordance with its best interests.

Adoption is for some children the only way to find a family, apart from foster care and restricted foster homes, which are especially well developed in Montenegro.

Adoption in Montenegro is based on the principal to completely satisfy the needs of the adopted child.

This book truly is something special because it’s based on Katarina’s experience as an adoptee. She has chosen the best way to portray the needs of adopted children. She has also demonstrated the importance of the child’s origin and biological parents as well as his/her native country.

Katarina took the topic of adoption, which can be very delicate, and made it seem like something completely normal in the form of a unique picture and memory book.

This book includes important information and events that will represent a dear souvenir for the adopted children and their adoptive parents.

A person takes many steps on different paths, and Katarina made it possible for all adopted children to create an appropriate and precious treasure of memories with her 1095 steps.

5. Review of the participants in the project:

Slavica Remškar, editor & adoptive parent

"I am grateful to have been able to read the diary, written for adopted children by the brave and determined Katarina, while it was already in the making and contribute when it came to linguistic issues. At the same time, it brought back moving memories of the time my husband and I decided to adopt: what the steps to our daughter were like, how we met and started our lives together. ... "

Špela Gorše, translator of Web page & friend

The first milestone in Katarina’s project was the realization of her lifelong wish when the baby book Our very first 1095 steps was published. It quickly became clear however that it won’t stop there. This unique gift for families with adopted children served as an inspiration for an even greater project that can now bring joy to adopted and biological children and their parents all over the world and in every moment. A group effort resulted in the birth of a unique interactive application Our very first 367 steps that gives families of all kinds an opportunity to capture and even enrich precious moments and upload them to a virtual memory book they can access anytime, anywhere.

I witnessed Katarina pour her heart and soul into this project. I can only hope she is proud of what she has accomplished and wish her all the best on this remarkable journey.